West Marion's football program will be moving forward under new leadership from Mason Woodrow, who was approved by the Marion County School Board Jan. 19 as the Trojans' new head football coach.
Marion County Athletic Director Anthony Dillon said that Woodrow made a strong first impression after being selected by a committee to interview for the job, giving them confidence that they'd found the right man to help lift the program to new heights.
"We interviewed him and asked some very good questions, and not just questions about football," Dillon said. "When you're looking for a head coach, you don't want to just hire somebody who's all about the Xs and Os. You want someone who can help develop young men into productive citizens for our community.
"It was a lengthy process, but we really felt from his interview that he was the right guy for the program. He's a well-rounded young man with high energy, he understands both sides of the football extremely well, and he wants to be a visible member of our community and show support for our other athletic programs as well, so we're excited to have him on board."
Woodrow will take over the Trojans program following the departure of former head coach Brandon Thornhill, who led West Marion for three seasons.
Woodrow is a native of Taylorsville and a graduate of East Central Community College and William Carey. He began his coaching career at his alma mater in 2017 as an offensive assistant under Chuck Robertson and Mitch Evans, where he helped a highly-potent Taylorsville Tartars offense earn back-to-back Class 2A state championships. He transitioned to Columbia High School in 2019, where he worked under head coach Chip Bilderback, spending one year as a quarterbacks and wide receivers coach and another as the Wildcats' offensive coordinator. In 2021 he rejoined Evans at Seminary High School, where spent the past two years as an offensive coordinator for the Bulldogs.
Woodrow said each stop in his journey has played a significant role in molding him into the coach he's become and preparing him to lead the Trojans, whom he met with Monday afternoon to properly introduce himself to the team.
"I've had the opportunity to work under three tremendous head coaches in coach Robertson, coach Bilderback and coach Evans," Woodrow said. "I've learned a lot about Xs and Os, but more importantly than that, they taught me how to communicate with kids and instill a belief in kids. I think that, as a coach, you take a little bit of what you learn each step of the way and try to make it your own, but I definitely wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for those three guys and the lessons they taught me."
Evans, who handpicked Woodrow for his staff after accepting the head coaching job at Seminary in 2020, said he's known him ever since his days as a multi-sport athlete at Taylorsville, where he once came up with a walk-off hit in the 11th inning to help the Tartars baseball team win a Class 2A state title. He believes the same qualities that made him successful on the field have benefitted him on the sideline as a brilliant young coach with unlimited potential.
"The first thing you notice about Mason as a coach is really the same thing we noticed when he was a player. Not only does he truly understand the game, but he understands the ins and outs of every little thing that goes on, whether it's offense, defense or special teams," Evans said. "He's sharp guy, not just when it comes to football but in general. He's ultra competitive, he's got that fire about him, and he just gets it."
Woodrow believes the competitive atmosphere he was raised in set the tone for the way he now approaches the game as a coach, and he's excited to help instill that same hometown pride into current and future Trojans players as they work together toward lofty goals.
"The way I see it is, if you're involved in sports and you aren't competitive, what are you even doing it for?" he said. "Obviously, coming from a place like Taylorsville where they've had a lot of success and won a lot of championships, every kid grows up wanting to be a Tartar. I believe it's the same way here, and my goal is just to build on to what it means to be a Trojan and represent this community each time you compete.
"When the job came open, it was something I knew I was very interested in, and I'm just unbelievably grateful for the opportunity. These are my type of kids here, and I believe this is the kind of place where you can be really successful and win. I'm really excited to get started."
Woodrow will look to help West Marion bounce back from a difficult 2022 campaign, in which the Trojans finished 1-9 overall and 0-4 in district play.
